Political Parties
Campaign Finance
Voting & Elections
Electoral College
General Knowledge
More Random Stuff
100
What are the two main parties in the U.S.?
Democrats & Republicans
100
What does PAC stand for?
Political Action Committee
100
What type of election usually has the highest voter turnout?
Presidential
100
How many electoral votes are needed to win the presidency?
270
100
How many electoral votes does VA have?
13
100
According to Citizens United, corporations are considered ______ under the law.
People
200
Any party other than the two main ones are called what?
Third parties
200
With rising campaign costs, PACs and Super PACs make it so only ______________ individuals run for office.
wealthy
200
What are three factors the predict which citizens will vote.
- Age (young/really old vote less)
- Education (lower educations votes less)
- Income (lower income votes less)
200
What is a safe state? Give an example.
A state that consistently votes the same way.
Rep- TX, LA
Dem- CA, NY
200
Which amendment lowered the voting age to 18?
26th
200
Which amendment made the poll tax illegal?
24th
300
Name one similarity between parties:
1. Organize to win elections
2. Influence public policy
3. Reflect both liberal and conservative views on the political spectrum
4. Define themselves in a way that wins majority support by appealing to the center of the spectrum
300
This Supreme Court case stated campaign spending and PACs are supported under the 1st amendment.
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (FEC)
300
What are 3 requirements to register to vote in VA?
- Be 18 on/by Election Day
- U.S. citizen
- Live in Virginia
300
What is a swing state? Give an example.
A state that does not always vote the same way.
(MI, WI, AZ, GA, NV, PA)
300
How many Senators and member in the House of Representatives does Pennsylvania have?
Senators- 2
House of Reps- 18
300
How many electoral votes does Washington D.C. have?
3
400
List at least 2 functions of political parties.
1. Recruiting and nominating candidates
2. Educating the people about campaign issues
3. Helping candidates win elections
4. Monitoring actions of officeholders
400
What is the difference between a PAC and Super PAC?
PACs- limited donations, can give directly to the candidate
SuperPACs- unlimited donations, corporations can donate, money cannot go directly to the candidate
400
What are two ways to register to vote?
- In-person
- Online
- DMV
- By mail
400
Which two states do not use a winner-take-all system?
- Maine
- Nebraska
400
How many days in advance do you need to register to vote in Virginia?
11 days
400
When is the last time that Florida has voted for a Democrat for president?
2012 (Obama)
500
What is the name of the Republican candidate who lost to Obama in 2012?
Mitt Romney
500
Who was the first President to spend over 1 billion dollars in his campaign?
Barack Obama
500
What are 4 reasons citizens fail to vote?
1. Apathy- don't care/lack of interest
2. Failure to register
3. Belief their vote doesn't count
4. No time/too busy
5. Poverty, inability to make it to the polls
500
What is the two-word phrase for what a state's number of electoral votes is based on?
congressional representation
500
Which President was a Federalist?
John Adams
500
How many times in U.S. history has the person who won the popular vote lost the electoral college?
4 times
(1876, 1888, 2000, 2016)